The Boston Red Sox are right in the middle of the American League playoff race with the July 31 MLB trade deadline approaching.
The Red Sox have won six straight games and eight of their last 10, moving them into a tie with the Seattle Mariners for the third and final wild card spot entering Thursday. With a 49-45 record, Boston is four games over .500 for the first time all season.
The Red Sox need to capitalize on the recent improvement and give the clubhouse a jolt by being buyers at the trade deadline.
What might the Red Sox prioritize adding at the deadline? Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was asked that question during an interview with WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Thursday.
“It kinda depends on where we are, so we have to zoom out a little bit and try to figure out who we are, what do we have coming back and what do we think is sustainable,” Breslow said. “A month and a half ago, we would have talked a ton about starting pitching and getting more consistency and finding someone who slots in toward the top of the rotation behind Garrett (Crochet).
“And then you look at what Lucas and Brayan have done over the last month and a half, and you start to feel confident in the way the starting pitching is coming together.
“That said, you can never have too much (starting pitching), so I think that’s probably what we would prioritize. But we’ve seen what (Richard) Fitts has done, (Hunter) Dobbins is getting healthy, (Tanner) Houck is getting healthy. We have some depth, but I think if there’s the opportunity to provide some impact starting pitching, and add that to the group, that’s probably where we’d focus.”
Red Sox starters have a 4.18 ERA this season, which ranks 10th out of 15 AL teams. Boston starters also have allowed the third-most hits, fourth-most runs and the fourth-most walks among AL teams.
Walker Buehler, who the Red Sox signed in free agency last offseason, has been a major disappointment. Tanner Houck has struggled, too, after being an All-Star in 2024.
On the bright side for the Red Sox, recent outings from Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello have been encouraging. However, a good portion of that success has come against lackluster opponents. It remains to be seen whether those two starters can pitch at this level on a consistent basis.
Even if they do maintain that level of performance, the Red Sox still need another ace in their rotation to go along with Crochet. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported this week that the Red Sox are among the teams “monitoring” Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan as a potential trade candidate.
Ryan would not be a rental because he’s under team control through 2027, which makes him an ideal trade target. Crochet and Ryan would be a formidable 1-2 punch.
Whether it’s Ryan or a similar player, the Red Sox must prioritize another impact starting pitcher — not only to compete for the playoffs this year but also in future seasons. So if that kind of pitcher is available in the coming weeks, the Red Sox need to be bold and make an aggressive push.
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